Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Stars: match preview

2h ago Jack Paynter

The Sixers and Stars face off at the SCG in the first match of a blockbuster Boxing Day double-header

Match facts

Who: Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Stars

What: Match 11, KFC BBL|15

Where: SCG, Sydney

When: Friday, December 26. Bat flip at 5.20pm local AEDT, first ball at 6.05pm AEDT

How to watch: Channel Seven, 7plus, Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports

Listen: ABC, SEN Radio. Listen in standard and real-time with no delay to live play via Cricket Radio on the CA Live app. Find out more here

Buy tickets: Tickets are on sale here

Live scores: Match Centre

Highlights, news and reactions after the match: cricket.com.au, the CA Live and Big Bash apps

Officials: Troy Penman and Gerard Abood (field), Ben Treloar (third), Claire Polosak (fourth), David Gilbert (match referee)

Match squads

Sydney Sixers: Moises Henriques (c), Sean Abbott, Babar Azam, Jafer Chohan, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Daniel Hughes, Ben Manenti, Josh Phillipe, Kane Richardson, Jake Scott, Lachlan Shaw, Jordan Silk

Ins: Ben Manenti, Sean Abbott, Jake Scott. Outs: Hayden Kerr (omitted), Todd Murphy (national selection), Mitch Perry (omitted)

Sean Abbott will make his first appearance in BBL|15 after being passed fit from the hamstring injury sustained in the Sheffield Shield that has kept him out of the Ashes campaign. The Sixers also welcome allrounder Jake Scott to the squad as a local replacement player in place of Todd Murphy after his call up to the Australian squad for the Boxing Day Test.

Ben Manenti also returns to the squad in place of Hayden Kerr and Mitch Perry, who have been both been omitted.

Melbourne Stars: Marcus Stoinis (c), Hilton Cartwright, Joe Clarke, Tom Curran, Sam Harper, Liam Hatcher, Campbell Kellaway, Glenn Maxwell, Hamish McKenzie, Jono Merlo, Haris Rauf, Tom Rogers, Peter Siddle, Mitch Swepson

Ins: Jon Merlo. Outs: Tom Whitney (omitted)

The undefeated Stars made just one change from the squad who beat the Strikers in Adelaide with Jon Merlo returning in place of quick Tom Whitney.

Club news

Players to watch

Jafer Chohan (Sixers): The young English leggie jumped recalled Test squad member Todd Murphy as the Sixers' first-choice spinner in their last match at home, taking 1-28 in their loss to the Strikers. Will face another stern test on Boxing Day as he goes head-to-head with Australian stars Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis in the middle overs.

Glenn Maxwell (Stars): Slammed an unbeaten 58 from 32 balls in his last innings against the Sixers in January during the Stars' incredible run to qualify for the finals last season. Maxwell returns to the SCG on Boxing Day, which hasn't been his favourite BBL venue in recent years but one where he scored 32 off 17 balls with three sixes in the same fixture exactly 12 months ago.

Top performers

Most Runs

BBL|15 BKT Golden Bat

Player	Total
1 Josh Philippe J Philippe	170
2 Matthew Renshaw M Renshaw	163
3 Ben McDermott B McDermott	156
4 Cooper Connolly C Connolly	136
5 Tim Seifert T Seifert	136
6 Nikhil Chaudhary N Chaudhary	127
7 Jack Wildermuth J Wildermuth	124
8 Matthew Gilkes M Gilkes	108

Most Wickets

BBL|15 BKT Golden Arm

Player	Total
1 Jack Edwards J Edwards	8
2 Jack Wildermuth J Wildermuth	6
3 Chris Jordan C Jordan	6
4 Shadab Khan S Khan	6
5 Haris Rauf H Rauf	5
6 Jason Behrendorff J Behrendorff	4
7 Tom Curran T Curran	4
8 Peter Siddle P Siddle	4

Most sixes scored

BBL|15

Player	Total
1 Cooper Connolly C Connolly	11
2 Matthew Renshaw M Renshaw	11
3 Finn Allen F Allen	10
4 Ben McDermott B McDermott	9
5 Jack Wildermuth J Wildermuth	9
6 Nikhil Chaudhary N Chaudhary	7
7 Tim Seifert T Seifert	7
8 Sam Billings S Billings	6

Local knowledge

Rapid stats

Melbourne Stars will be aiming for consecutive wins against Sydney Sixers in the BBL for the first time since January 2020 following their 16-run victory when they last met earlier this year (January 9, 2025).
Sydney Sixers have lost each of their past two BBL matches at the SCG, batting first on the day in each of those two games. The last time they recorded a longer losing run at the venue was a three-match span from January to December in 2017.
Melbourne Stars have a collective batting average of 53.3 so far this BBL|15 season, the best of any team and almost 15 runs more than the next best (Brisbane Heat – 38.4); although, the Stars have hit just six sixes in the campaign which is the fewest of any team.
Melbourne Stars' Marcus Stoinis (20 per cent of 30 balls bowled) and Sydney Sixers' Ben Dwarshuis (12 per cent of 66 balls bowled) have had batters leave a higher percentage of their deliveries than any other players in BBL|15 (min. 10 balls bowled).
Peter Siddle (Melbourne Stars) has bowled 48 deliveries in BBL15, the most of any player without being hit for a six in the campaign, while Stars teammate Mitchell Swepson (42) has bowled the most deliveries of any player yet to take a wicket.

What's on the line?

There's not many bigger days on the cricketing calendar than Boxing Day with all eyes to turn to the Big Bash double-header after stumps on day one of the fourth Ashes Test at the MCG. The Sixers historically hold the upper hand in this fierce rivalry between two of the competition's biggest clubs, but the Stars have started BBL|15 well with two wins to sit top of the standings and will be out to keep their momentum rolling.

KFC BBL|15 standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Net Run Rate NRR	Total points PTS
1 Melbourne Stars Men STA	2	2	0	1.541	4
2 Hobart Hurricanes Men HUR	3	2	1	0.45	4
3 Sydney Sixers Men SIX	3	1	2	0.569	2
4 Perth Scorchers Men SCO	2	1	1	0.365	2
5 Sydney Thunder Men THU	3	1	2	-0.258	2
6 Adelaide Strikers Men STR	2	1	1	-0.376	2
7 Brisbane Heat Men HEA	3	1	2	-0.755	2
8 Melbourne Renegades Men REN	2	1	1	-1.331	2

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

PTS: Total points